New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-24
U4YE THEY RLpENIIDf

There were many striking things said at the
Now LAND Society's dinner on thursday
night, but none moro suggestive than TINS
uttcrancc from the telling speech OF an orator
new to Eastern audiences, Edward o. Wolcott,
of Denver:
Tho war IS over tho very subject IA hackneycd; 1t
IS a tale that IS told and commerce and enlightened
self Interest have Oblteraed all Ines. And yet you
must forgive H. before the account finally closed
and tho dead and the woe, and the tears are balanced
by all the blessings OF reunited country. some OF us
still listen for voice have not yet heard; ii We
walt for some Southern leader to toll u that renewed
patton in tbs management Of tho affairs of this
Nation carries with It the admission that the question
Of the right Of secession is settled, not because tho
South vanquishcd but because the doctrine was
and Is wrong, forever wrong
Is not this reasonable is not this just ? Is
it not good Bible doctrine Chat repentance
shall come before forgiveness? But what
signs have We Of genuine repentance, even at
this late day? "1hc Wilmington On. c. STAR
is ready to answer this question Some weeks
ago. it will be remembered, there was Con-
fcderate orgy at Macon, GA. in which Jefferson
| Davis took part and General Henry X. Jackson
was the leading spokesman. pamphlet has
since been issued containing General JacksOns
speech, and a correspondence that followed
between ex-senator Thurman and himself.
"Thc STAR makes this the text of a ringing
editorial in which IL says:
Wo say this without any qualification or mental
reservation that there IS not a sentiment uttered by
General Jackson in his eloquent and most impressive
address, that ovcry genuine SOuhron does not hold and
defend. few traitors few time servers and rhc-
orcal soapbubble blowers few pulling sycophans and
unworthy descendants Of tho noble Of the South,
by Kissing the shifting hand and by Insulting the mem
ores Of tho dead Of the South but with those
contemplate exceptions, the whole Intelligence and
manhood Of the south will indOrso every word that
General Jackson uttered at Macon.
In that speech was a passage now become
famous, urging that what the South fought
for was the principle Of Homo Rule. whose
ultimate triumph was forctold as follows:
And so surely IT moves, It shall bring the day Of
a final triumph, to DO decreed by the mind and con
science of to time tested truth. In that trum-
phal procession Abraham Lincoln shall not moyo az
the rghtful President but Jefferson Davis the sOcaed
"traltor" leader Of sOcacd lost" cause. Tho
memory Of those chains Will thrill along that awful
limo with power never given to mortal el0quence In
that silent but majestic march will move the Coined
crate States OF America each wearing her truth stud
ded Of sovereignty untarnlshcd. Georgia bear
Ing her proud her Barlow, her Cobb, hor alker
her bloOdstaned horoos unDumbered, who fell with
sense of tho coming glory unecipsed in their souls.
Now, as "Tho Star" rapturously observes,
in quoting this very passage, "no sensible man
ought to misunderstood that No student Of
American history or politics has any excuse
for not catching its real meaning" We agree
perfectly with "The Star" about that. On
another occasion General Jackson said:
Mr.. Davis represented State sovereignty. Mr.. Lin
coin stood for centralized nation. When my prcdic-
ton true, If It should come true, that the ruo
prncplo Of successful government Is local rights lodged
In local soveregntes, in that triumph Mr Davis would
take precedence by virtue Of tho principle OF govern
mont for which he fought.
1T would be impossible to conceive Of greater
pcrsstcncy in the claim to the right Of scces-
sion than this. or more defiant ignoring of the
fact that Jefferson Davis was not only traitor